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GTA III is the closest any console game has come realizing a fully-functioning, free-roaming 3D world. In the role of an up-and-coming thug, you're free to travel through the bloody street of Liberty City with hopes of making a name for yourself. Naturally, this involves cavorting with the underworld's various manifestations, all of which are more than happy to send you on missions. You can associate with them at your leisure, however, as there is a huge 3D world at your disposal. The act of stealing cars, amassing insane amounts of weapons, and seeking out the game's great many hidden special-event missions will serve as a great distraction, when you become weary of acting as the mob's do-boy.

More than 100 hours of compelling gameplay is packed into Grand Theft Auto III, which is remarkable for any game, and especially so for a modern PS2 game. Completing the game's missions will take you a good seventy hours, though you're likely to play keep playing for much, much longer--it's as much a toy as a game, in this respect. A rather rash, manic toy, but an engaging toy nonetheless.